: A salute to Twentieth Century American music is being composed at
the National Heritage Museum via the photography exhibition
"Gershwin to Gillespie: Portraits in American Music" on view
April 15 through September 17.
The exhibition offers glimpses into the lives and personalities
of the greatest American musicians and composers, as captured by
some of the most influential American photographers, including
Philippe Halsman and Annie Leibovitz. Among those depicted in the
50 featured photographs are George Gershwin, Dizzy Gillespie,
Leonard Bernstein, Lukas Foss, John Philip Sousa, Billie Holiday,
John Coltrane, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin.
The exhibition was organized by George Eastman House
International Museum of Photography and Film.
"Individually, these images present us with portraits of
determination, idealism and a strong sense of self. As a group,
these images give us a wonderful cross-section of American
musical life," noted musicologist Olivia Mattis, guest curator of
the exhibition. "These are complicit images involving a
partnership between a number of America's most influential
photographers and some highly creative American music
personalities who were concerned about their place in history."
The exhibition is arranged in four sections: Champions of
American Music, Great American Composers, Legends of American
Jazz and Icons of American Pop. The musical legends have been
captured in various poses and settings, from studio shots and
live stage performances to recording sessions.
"Harlem (A Great Day in Harlem)," 1958. Photo by Art Kane;
courtesy George Eastman House.
For instance, Halsman's portrait of Louis Armstrong clearly
illustrates why Halsman was Life magazine's most popular
cover photographer. Rolling Stone photographer Leibovitz is
represented through her creative images of Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson
and B.B. King. Also on view, is the story behind Art Kane's famous
"A Great Day in Harlem" - one of the most famous jazz images of all
time.
"In putting together the exhibition, I looked for images by
photographers who were at least as well known as the subjects,"
Mattis explained. "For Sinatra I chose Halsman. For Bob Dylan I
chose Annie Leibovitz. For Gershwin, I chose Steichen. I was not
interested in snapshots nor in publicity shots. Rather, I looked
for images where the photographer and the musician were engaged
in a creative dialogue. There is a spark or an energy that is
released when two creative forces come together in a single
artistic expression."
The National Heritage Museum is at 33 Marrett Road, at the corner
of Route 2A and Massachusetts Avenue. For information,
781-861-6559 or www.nationalheritagemuseum.org.
